Five Ideas for Bridesmaids Jewellery

With the UK set to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on 19 May, all eyes will be on the bride. Blushing or not she will surely sparkle. Her bridesmaids will be in the spotlight too of course and we can all but wonder what beautiful thank you gifts theyll receive.

Royal wedding or not, being a bridesmaid is a huge honour and responsibility. Its traditional to acknowledge your bridesmaids support and show them how much you value their role before and during your special day. You too can bestow upon your bridesmaids a touch of Markle-like sparkle by gifting them each a piece of antique jewellery.

Antique jewellery makes the ideal gift for bridesmaids because each piece is unique and can be especially chosen with the recipient in mind. It can be worn on the wedding day for the first time and thereafter kept and worn again as an enduring memento. Or, you may prefer to present their gifts after the ceremony at your wedding breakfast to keep an element of surprise.

Basing your choice on a theme can add interest and relevance. Here are five ideas:

1. Suffragette Jewellery

Ms Markle being an ardent feminist together with 2018 marking 100 years since women were granted the right to vote in the UK, makes suffragette jewellery a poignant and meaningful choice for your bridesmaids.

2. Animals, birds and flowers

There are all sorts of unusual faunal and floral designs to be found, including antique insect jewellery. Think dragonflies, butterflies, bees and ladybirds for example. These can add a fun and playful feel to your gift.

3. Royal Era

You could opt to feature an age of elegance and distinction. The regal grace of Victorian, Edwardian or Georgian pieces continue to shine throughout the decades and add a depth of history to your gesture.

4. Birthstones

Selecting a piece of jewellery incorporating your bridesmaids birthstones can add a personalised and thoughtful touch.

5. Your wedding colours

You may wish to tie in the colour of any gemstones featured in your bridesmaids jewellery with the theme colours of your wedding. For example, you could match, or contrast with your bridesmaids dresses, your flowers, or venue decor.

Remember to consider:

The ages of your bridesmaids; a delicate pearl bracelet may best suit your seven-year-old niece. Your artsy best friend may love a grasshopper brooch. A simple sapphire pendant may be preferred by your more conservative sister-in-law. Think of what you can see them wearing again, beyond your wedding day.

You dont need to stick to the same type of jewellery for each bridesmaid as with the accepted trend of differing styles of bridesmaids dresses to complement different figures, jewellery can also be hand-picked to suit each persons eye and hair colour, build, and skin tone.

The style of the bridesmaids dresses and their hair-styles on the day theres little point in buying a necklace if its to be worn with a halter-neck, or dangly earrings if hair will be worn down.

Ask yourself if you wish to include the bride and grooms mothers in the giving of thank you jewellery.

The piece should be more discreet than anything the bride is wearing enhance not overpower!